In coming days and weeks online, I'll name the noisiest restaurants in the Bay Area, point you to restaurants that are off the radar, share a few discoveries, give tips for finding great wines, offer strategies for getting the best seats in the house, and highlight dining trends. Anything that deals with food, wine and restaurants is fair game.

I want this to be informative, provocative, fun and personal. I've just returned from Kansas where I went on a fried-chicken odyssey and I'll tell you about that, along with what I think makes great fried chicken. I often travel to New York and I'll try to share dining tips there and for other cities I visit. In addition, I'll have tips on how everyone can become a food critic, and links to my favorite restaurants. Mainly, I hope this will be a place where we'll get to know each other a little better.

I know readers have a wealth of information to share, too, so I'm looking forward to making this an interactive site. I'm not sure we'll agree on everything, but the dialog should be enlightening. Log on to weigh in, and let me know what you'd like to see on the site.

To start, I've included some frequently asked questions readers have sent me over the years. Here's a selection, but you'll find even more on the blog. Go to sfgate.com/blogs/bauer.

Q: So do you weigh 300 pounds?

A: Actually, I carry about 220 pounds on my 5'7" frame and have a thick dark beard. Honestly, one of the three is correct.

I work to keep my weight down so I don't weigh 300 pounds. By exercising every day, I can eat out every night.

Q: Do you announce when you're coming to a restaurant?

A: No. I never use my name when booking a reservation, and I have credit cards in other names.

Q: Are you really anonymous?

A: I try to be, but when you've been in a city as long as I have, it's hard to keep from being outed. However, I play cat and mouse with the best of them, sometimes sneaking into the restaurant after the rest of my party is seated. In case I'm recognized, I always follow service at a table or two across the room to see if the portions are the same and service is consistent.

One sure way to recognize me: I'm the one who's looking around the room rather than staring into the eyes of my dining partner.

One sure way to know it's not me: If you see someone taking notes.

If you're a critic, you should be able to remember what you ate without resorting to covert note-taking under the table (which any astute waiter can identify).

Q: Can a restaurant change what they do if you're recognized?

A: A chef can't suddenly become more talented, but the kitchen can make sure everything is the best it can be. On the service side, poorly trained servers aren't going to suddenly understand the finer points of their craft. In many cases when I'm recognized, the experience deteriorates because everyone tries too hard.

Q: How many times do you visit a restaurant?

A: The Chronicle begins the review process after the restaurant is open at least a month, and we visit a minimum of three times. Previously reviewed restaurants that appear in 96 Hours are often revisited only once. The thinking is that these places have already had a full review, so we're already familiar with what they offer. We'll go back two or three times if the situation warrants.

Q: Why do you wait a month?

A: We realize that reviews affect people's livelihoods, and you often won't get the best experience if you go in the first month. It can take a restaurant three to six months to work out all the kinks. A month is a good compromise.

Q: Can't you close a restaurant with a bad review?

A: I'm not sure a bad review will close a place; it might just hasten its demise. The dining public makes up its own mind. I realize that the owners often sink their life savings into the place and employ people who are trying to support families. I try to be fair, but in the end, my allegiance has to lie with the diner.

Q: What are your dining pet peeves?

A: I'm not going to make it easy for you ... read the blog, shoot me an e-mail, and we'll have some great discussions about all of that.